Love Bring Us Back
by JadeKawaii
Summary: Lady Kagome is kidnapped on the day of her wedding. And her captor, Inuyasha, has a dark history even HE doesn't know.. AU, InuKag
1. Prologue

Well.. I vow NOT to write myself into any more corners like I did with my other story..

Anyway.. umm.. you will notice that some of the relationships are changed around.. but I promise you, this will be InuKag and MirSan!! (it would kill me to change those two..)

And also.. I _did_ say I'm a canuck.  So if you see any oddities in spelling (like honour instead of honor), it's probably that.  Or it could  be that I'm too lazy to hit the backspace key.

Last note..

I have a lovely mental map-picture of how the castle might look, and I know you can't possibly have read my mind. Maybe you have. In any case, i decided to write some detail down at the bottom of this chap.

Disclaimer: I own Inuyasha.  Mmhmm.  See? points to a sheet of paper oh.. wait.. nevermind, that says "I own nothing".  WAAAH! runs away crying

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"Kagome, wake up." Sunlight splashed on the girl's face as the door slid open.

"Ughhh.."  A slender hand moved to shade soft brown eyes from the light.

The girl who had opened the door walked in and closed the door behind her.  "Mistress Kagome, it's time to get up!"  She walked over to the futon, clothes draped over one arm.  Her hazel eyes closed for a moment in exasperation, then she put the clothes down and strode over to the futon.  She put her hands on her hips, and exclaimed, "Kagome, wake up!  You're already sleeping in!  If you don't get up soon.."

The covers on the futon were thrown back as Kagome sat up abruptly.  "It's today!"  She managed to untangle herself from the futon and almost fell off the side of the futon.  "Ack!  Sango!"

Sango barely held back a laugh.  She reached down a hand to help Kagome up.  "We've got to get you dressed.  Breakfast is in.. 15 minutes.  Hurry!"

Without waiting for an answer, she picked up the clothes she'd put down earlier and shook them out, laying them on the futon one by one for Kagome to put on.  Kagome made a face.  She hated wearing so many layers; it made it hard for her to move around.  But there was no way she could get out of this.  Sighing, she put on the layers one by one, with Sango's help.  Finally, they were done, and Sango pushed Kagome over to the bathroom.  While Kagome brushed her teeth, Sango brushed and pinned up Kagome's hair.

The moment they were done, the door slid open again, and another woman entered the room.  She looked much like Kagome, but her face was more composed.  Which, one supposed, could be attributed to the fact that she _was_ about five years older.

"Lady Kikyou!"  Sango bowed to the older woman.  Kikyou was Kagome's older sister, and the two were as alike as two peas.  The only differences that stood between them were the difference in status, age, and in character.  Kagome was a nobleman's daughter, and she would be betrothed soon.  Kikyou, though she should have married also, was training as a miko.  And where Kagome was light-hearted and almost childish in her innocent happiness, Kikyou was calmer, dignified, and almost emotionally detached in her cool manner.

"Kagome, Sango, please hurry.  The guests are beginning to arrive at the breakfast table, and my sister must take her place."  She walked back out, towards the dining room.  Kagome and Sango followed, Kagome silently cursing the kimono that hampered her movements.  Seeing that Kikyou, having already gone ahead out of sight, Kagome glanced quickly around to make sure the two girls were the only ones around, picked up her sandals in one hand, then lifted her kimono enough to run.  Sango giggled and followed her example.  "Your lady mother would kill you if she saw us doing this."  Not that either cared, of course.  Just before they reached the main hallway, they put their sandals back on, straightened their kimonos, and walked to the dining room.

They exchanged one last, conspiratorial glance as Kagome took her place, and Sango left to join the other servants.  Kikyou, who was seated next to Kagome, looked at the younger girl's hair, slightly flushed cheeks, and whispered, "Sister, next time you run, make sure you get your hair back in order before you present yourself."

Kagome flushed, embarrassed.  "Oops!  Arigato , Kikyou."  She quickly raised her hands to her hair, grimacing as she felt the now out-of-place strands.  Kikyou turned, pushed Kagome's hands gently back down and smoothed down the rebellious strands.

Glancing nervously at her parents, Kagome struggled to keep her hands still in her lap.  _Noble ladies mustn't fidget._  Her parents conversed quietly with those next to them, their faces and bodies composed and calm.  _How can they stay so _still_?_  Kagome barely managed to stay seated.  She wanted to get up, run, maybe take a shot or two at the archery range.  She twitched once.  Kikyou raised an eyebrow at her, the look on her face saying, _behave._  Kagome sighed softly.  She _hated_ having to stay so still.  Normally, she wouldn't have to sit like this, prim and proper with her back perfectly straight, without a single hair out of place, keeping quiet.  Normally they could just wear whatever they wanted, and sometimes, if Kagome wished, she could have her breakfast brought to her room.

But today was different.  Tonight her parents were throwing a massive party, and several nobles and their sons had been invited.  Kagome had turned 17 not more than two weeks earlier, and her parents had decided that it was time for her to be married.  _Really, it's not so much of a surprise, I'm the only marriageable daughter my parents have.  This is what was destined for my life.  This is what my parents want for me._  But it wasn't what she wanted.  She didn't really want to get married; she wanted to be a miko, like Kikyou.  But this was her duty.  Kikyou had already taken that path, and so the duty of bringing honour to her parents by marrying was left to her.

_I wonder, who will I marry?_  Suppose he was some ugly noble, decades older!  Or.. maybe he would be handsome, and young.  _I _still_ don't want to marry.  Maybe I'll just run away!  Yes, that would solve that problem._  But of course, it wasn't really that good a solution.  Kagome sighed and made some noise of thanks as her food was placed before her.

Some of the nobles and their sons had already arrived; they were now seated at the table.  Kagome kept her head down and stared pointedly at her food, taking small, delicate bites and sipping quietly at her tea.  Beside her, Kikyou did the same.  Even so, she could feel the eyes staring at her.  She purposely kept her head bowed as far as was considered polite, letting her bangs fall down to hide her face.  She lifted another small piece of food to her lips, and saw Kikyou clench one hand in her lap.

"Do you hate this too?"  Kagome whispered.

"Get used to it, Kagome.  Now that our parents have started on this, it will likely be many more formal meals like this before you'll be free.  And yes, I hate this."  Kikyou gave Kagome a little smile.

Finally the meal was finished, and Kagome rose smoothly.  She followed Kikyou out, attended by Sango, and together they headed for their rooms.  As soon as they reached the private family section of the estate, they all breathed a huge sigh of relief.  Kagome promptly stretched her arms, grateful to get some movement into her upper body.  "Much better!"

"Now, Kagome.  Remember that you must be on time tonight.  I will be at the shrine most of the day, so you will have to find some way to amuse yourself.  Try not to make a scene, ok?"

"Hai."  She and Sango watched Kikyou head for her room, then the two looked at each other.  "Well?  What are we supposed to do now?"

"Umm.. how about the archery range?  I don't think any of the nobles will be there.  They're probably all hanging around the courtyard, or chatting nonsense with your parents and each other.  No doubt, starting or continuing a few petty squabbles of their own."

Kagome giggled.  "You're probably right.  Let's change into more suitable clothes, and then the archery range it is!"

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The young noble stared down at the archery range.  From the doorway of his room that led to the outside hall, he had a perfect view.  And right now, that view included two very lovely young ladies.  One was clearly the lady Kagome.  Her slender wrists and hands, her arms steady as she pulled the arrow back and released it.  She was quite good; she always hit the target, although she hit the center only once.  Her long, shiny, dark hair was tied at the nape of her neck with a bright red ribbon.  The other girl was pretty too, although she wore her hair in a ponytail high up on her head.  But the lady Kagome!

_She's mine, I swear it._

Laughter drifted up to his ears as the next arrow landed in a tree far from the target.  The two girls walked towards the target to pick out the arrows.  The young noble watched, entranced.  The lady's walk was smooth, graceful.  There was almost a slight bounce in her step.  She wasn't merely lit by the brilliant sun overhead; she radiated light back.

The lady and her maid had finished plucking out arrows, and headed back for their earlier spot.  This time, the maid took the bow.  Her aim was not quite so good as the lady's, and the young noble smiled as he compared her aim with that of the lady's.  He clenched his hand at the thought that some other, undeserving noble might marry this lovely lady.  _She's mine!  I will go tonight, as soon as possible, and I will talk to her parents.  I will not let this chance slip out of my hands._  He smiled faintly as she watched the two girls in the archery range until they stopped, gathered all the arrows and headed back inside.

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Kagome watched as the arrow thunked into the edge of the target.  Close.  She had yet to hit the centre consistently.  But she loved archery anyway.  It felt so good, concentrating on the target, and nothing else mattered, just you, the target, the feeling in your arms.  She raised her bow again, took aim, fired, and watched the arrow hit another spot on the target.  Her next arrow landed so far from the target she couldn't help bursting into laughter.

Together with Sango she collected the arrows.  A strange, prickly feeling tingled through her.  She felt as if she was being watched; by whom, she had no idea, but it unsettled her all the same.  When they reached the starting position again, she handed the bow to Sango.  She couldn't get rid of that strange feeling. She looked around.  There was absolutely nobody around, save for herself and Sango.  Maybe there were people in the castle.. but she didn't see anyone.  She probably wouldn't have seen anyone, at least; the sun was painfully bright behind the castle and it was hard to tell in the shadowy upper hall of the castle.

She turned her attention back to Sango and laughed.  Somehow she had managed to get her arms tangled in the bow and bowstring.  Sango made a face, and slowly worked herself free.  "Great.  I can't even use a bow without _somehow_ messing up!  See, _this_ is why I'm a lady's maid and not some warrior maiden, like my mother used to think of me."  She chuckled.  Sango had no aptitude whatsoever for weapons, much less a bow and arrow.  Which was a strange thing, you could say, because her mother had been Kagome's mother's handmaiden/bodyguard, and pretty darned good fighter.

"I think we're good for the day.  Let's go back inside, and go find something to eat."  Kagome took the bow from her friend's hands, and went back inside, hunting down the kitchen.

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well, how's you like that?  It's taken me forever to write that.  Sorry.  I have Aps coming up, and fanfic-writing-time has turned into mad-cramming-time.  But I have my "AP study day" which means hopefully I'll get most of the next chapter done!

**PLEASE REVIEW!!** Arigatou, minna-san!

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AN: Verbal Castle Layout.

I truly don't know how traditional Japanese castles/estates work (actually.. I dun really know that much at all.. in general) but so I did my best to combine something in between Naraku's castle (sry.. but it's the only one in the series!) and the one in Miyazaki's _Spirited Away_.  Neither of which I have a particularly good memory of, so here goes.

Uhh.. the general layout is a giant square, with a large courtyard/garden in the middle.  That's where any social mingling would normally take place.  (again, forgive me if this is not at all how castles work at all)  There is a main hallway that goes clear through the entire floor (how to explain this? Imagine a normal doughnut, but square instead of round.  The hole is the courtyard. Hope that makes better sense)  I decided to add a second floor, so imagine two square doughnuts, the top one slightly smaller than the bottom one.  The space where it is smaller, is turned into basically a balcony/hallway.  So where the bottom floor has an indoor hallway (plus one that goes around the courtyard), the upper one has balcony/hallways on the outside and overlooking the courtyard but not INSIDE the building.  Clearly, the family's private quarters are on the upper level, as well as any guest rooms, but the two are in separate parts of hallway.  Any other rooms (dining, kitchens, practise courts [for combat], etc.. are on the lower level.  Okay, now that I've completely turned you off my story, I'll just go and uh.. go eat my bubble tea.__


	2. The Perfect Match

All questions shall be answered in time.. (and the answer might not be what you think it is!) and don't worry, I have no intention of dropping this. (might be a while before the next update tho.  Exams are coming up, and you know what that means..)

Hopefully you understood that funny "map".  Ah who cares?  It's only gonna last another chapter or two.

Those of you who really hate Kikyou.. sorry for making her Kagome's sis.  But hey, it just works better.. (I guess I could have made her Kagome's cousin.. if I get enough requests I may just change that.. o wait, provided I get reviews. hinthint

Disclaimer: Inuyasha.. MY Inuyasha!  points to her desktop, where there is a lovely background of.. you guessed it!  Inuyasha!

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Kagome was again, fidgeting in her lap.  She was bored.  To death.  In fact, she was so bored, you could almost _see_ the boredom surrounding her.

Tonight she was supposed to meet all her possible suitors.  There were a lot of them.  The dining room was jam-packed with people and food, the air heavy with the delicious aroma of the many dishes to come.  Right now Kagome was waiting for the food, and so she played with her fingers, the only thing she could do to _not_ stare at the hordes of people around her, and concentrate on something else other than the tantalizing smells.

There really were tons of people.  So many nobles, their wives, and their sons.  A few had brought their daugthers along as well.  She hoped she would be allowed to talk to some of them later; maybe she coud make a few new friends.  Not to mention, some of them had really adorable baby siblings.  Maybe not.  There were too many eyes on her.  She noticed some of the stares – some of them came from the nobles and their wives, studying her, judging her.  And some of the stares came from the sons, scrutinizing her every feature.  She dipped her head just a little lower, letting her bangs shift a little more to cover her face.

Beside her, Kikyou was as calm and cool as ever.  Nothing ever seemed to penetrate her dignity.  The miko looked at her sister sympathetically.  _I am glad I am out of reach of these men.  Even if some of them are nice, and handsome._

Dinner passed slowly for Kagome.  She wasn't allowed to eat much, since ladies must not show themselves to be gluttons.  And besides, she must keep her slender figure!  As if she cared.  She would gladly have dug into the food right now, but was forced to nibble the tiny portions set on her plate.  _A small appetite will attract you a better husband.  That's what Mom says.  I would gladly eat all the food on this table if it means I won't attract a husband at all!  But.. I have no choice._

And finally it was over.  Now they would move elsewhere, into the courtyard, where lanterns had been strung up and musicians waited in a corner.  Kagome followed Kikyou, and and one of their little cousins tagged along.  "Kagome, you look so pretty!"

"Thank you!"

"Are you really gonna get _married_?"

"Ehh…" sweatdrops

"Don't bother Kagome.  Go see how Uncle Higurashi is.  He hasn't seen you all evening, and I'm sure he would love to see his favourite nephew."

"I'm his _only_ nephew!"

"Of course.  And also his favourite."  Kagome had to hide a smile.  It was true, in a way.  They only had one boy cousin, but girl cousins they had aplenty.

"Whee!"  Kikyou and Kagome watched as their cousin dissappeared out of sight in the throngs of guests.

"So what will we do now?"

"It's _your_ wedding, _your_ funeral, Kagome."

sweatdrop  "I know that."

They found a nice spot to sit, under a tree laden with sakura blossoms and lit by the many lanterns hanging in the courtyard.  Around them, the guests milled about, although Kagome did notice one thing..

Someone was talking to her parents.  A really _cute_ someone.  She recognized him as one of the wolf lords, although he was wearing more uh… civilized clothing than wolves normally wore.

_I wonder.. is he asking for my hand..?_

It was a strange thought.  She didn't even know the guy.  Actually, she had a headache now, and she wanted to go away somewhere quiet and just make the headache go away.  Unfortunately, she couldn't even do that, because as the focus of tonight's grand dinner, she couldn't just up and dissappear.

Fortunately, she was saved from her headache by the appearance of a giant, floating pink bubble… which popped right in front of her to reveal a small kitsune child with a mop of bright orange hair.

"You must be Kagome!"

A kitsune child with a really high-pitched voice, no less.

"Yes, I am.  And you are..?"

"My name is Shippou.  I'm a kitsune!"  Without any further ado, (or even permission), he hopped up into her lap, staring into her face with an adoring, idolizing gaze.  "I didn't know you were so pretty!"

"Ohh.. thank you..?"  Kagome looked helplessly at Kikyou, who merely glanced over, sighed, and turned her eyes elsewhere.

_He _is_ adorable._  Kagome petted Shippou on his head, resulting in a giggle from both of them.

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Now the crowd had dispersed a little, with many of the older nobles conversing around the edges, and the younger nobility paired, dancing to the soft music.  A handsome young man came over to where the two sisters were sitting, and Kagome watched as Kikyou rose and was soon dancing.

Kagome was lonely.  She usually wasn't, since she was usually in the presence of at least one other person.  And the now-sleeping kitsune child in her lap didn't really make her feel that much better.  And even that slight warm fuzzy feeling was gone when, several minutes later, a kitsune lord came and took Shippou away.

So Kagome just sat there, looking on wistfully at the other girls, almost all of whom were dancing blissfully in the arms of some handsome noble.

Just when she was contemplating simply falling asleep, and her eyes were closing on their own, her mind numbing with boredom..

"Kagome Higurashi?"

She looked up, and lake-blue eyes met her own.  It was the wolf noble she'd seen talking to her parents earlier!  anybody wanna guess who?

She almost shot to her feet.  Instead, she repressed the urge to jump up and stare, rose to her feet with dignity, and bowed her head slightly.  "I'm Kagome Higurashi."

The wolf lord bowed in return and smiled, barely showing his pointed fangs.  "My name is Kouga.  I am prince of the northern wolf tribes."  He smile widened to a grin, and he held out a hand to Kagome.  "Care to dance?"

She smiled back.  Finally, something to do other than sit around!  "I'd love to."  She placed her hand in his, her slender, lightly tanned hand fitting comfortably into his larger, strong one.

He led her to where the other couples were dancing, as a soft, slow song began.  Kagome smiled as she heard the gentle melody.  "This is my favourite song.."

Kouga smiled as well.  "It is indeed a beautiful melody, almost as beautiful as you.."

Kagome flushed a bright red.  She wasn't complimented often, and certainly not by such handsome young men!  "A.. arigatou.."

The song played on, and Kouga drew her closer, a strange, warm feeling spreading through Kagome.  She rested her head against his chest, closing her eyes and letting herself be carried away on the soft wings of the melody.

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Sango sighed happily as she watched her mistress dance in the courtyard below.  Kagome looked truly content, and if Sango was right, Kagome and this wolf lord looked absolutely perfect together.  _Maybe he is the one.. is he?  They look so happy together.. I really hope he marries her!_  Sango knew that other nobles were eyeing the lady, but none of _them_ looked like they'd care whether or not Kagome liked them.  Not to mention, some of them were ugly, some of them were known to be womanizers, and some were just too old for Kagome.  Sango could count on the fingers of one hand the men she trusted to marry Kagome.  And one of them was the noble Kagome danced with now.

_It's perfect.  It's all so perfect._  The song – Kagome's favourite!  The handsome young noble, everything.  Not to mention, wolves were known to be about as womanizing as a pea.  Once a wolf took a mate, they stuck with their mate for life.

Sango could only hope for such a perfect match.  Not to mention, so romantic a meeting.  Maybe she would!  Perhaps, someday, at another one of these nobles' gatherings, she would meet a man who would be just as perfect as Kagome's suitor was.  And he would have eyes for her, only her.

Sango sighed.  All this was just dreaming, of course.  She was just a handmaiden, after all.  It didn't matter that Kagome treated her as a friend, often as sister.  The fact remained that Sango, though born of minor nobility, still only held a position of minor importance.  She would probably die an old maid.

_Then again, better to die an old maid than to be married to someone who doesn't love me!_

Down below, the song ended, and the couples dispersed.  Some remained, waiting for the next song, but Kagome and the wolf lord headed out of Sango's sight.

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"Kagome.. you look amazing.  You remind me of some sakura blossoms I saw once; so beautiful, so perfect.  Your eyes.. they sparkle like the stars.  They entrance me, I can't seem to think of anything else.."  Kouga grabbed both of Kagome's hands in his, bringing them up in between them.

Kagome blushed.  _Am I dreaming?_

"I promise you I'd love you forever.  I know we have only met for a short time only, but it feels like I have known you for an eternity.  I'll protect you against anything, everything."

_I can't believe he's saying this?  I _must_ be dreaming.._

"I.. "  Kouga faltered momentarily, but tightened his grip on her hands and plunged ahead.  "I asked your parents if I might marry you.  They haven't given me an answer, but if they say yes, I swear to you that they'll never regret it.  I'll hold you closer than my own heart, and you'll be mine.."  _Mine only!_

_…If I'm dreaming.. I seriously hope I'm not dreaming!_

Without waiting for her to answer, he let go of her hands and wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close.  He rested his chin on her head, breathing in the delicate, sweet smell of her.  "I promise.."

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"Well, my lord?"  Lady Higurashi looked down at the couple in the courtyard below.  They looked perfect in her eyes, the wolf lord Kouga so absolutely endearing, her own daughter.. well, tonight Kagome seemed to glow with some sort of inherent, ethereal beauty.  "She seems to like him."

"My dear, they've only met for a short while.  And we have offers from other nobles, some of whom we would probably be much better off for having them as a son-in-law."

"Yes, yes.  But just look at them!  They're so perfect together.. My lord, I would prefer someone who cares about my daughter than someone who will just marry her for her inheritance and maybe her looks."  She watched with a small smile as the wolf lord drew her daughter close in his arms.

"So.. shall we tell him yes?"

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yes, this is an InuKag.  And yes, I do actually have a purpose for making Kouga fall for Kagome/the other way around possibly.  And no, it isn't just to do the whole jealousy thing over again.  You'll see. ;)

just to clear things up, in case any of you start getting any ideas.  The cousin.. I originally planned to stick Souta in here somewhere, but realized it just wouldn't work.  And um.. yeah. That whole little episode with the cousin probably won't have any effect in the story.  I was just bored (and had minor writer's block.  What can I say?  Not many good ideas come to mind after you've just studied random biology things.)

dang.  I gotta be the slowest fic writer in the universe.


	3. Hidden in the Shadows

Ok well.. thx to ppl who review.. I love you all!!

Disclaimer: I STILL don't own Inuyasha.  Wish I did, but I don't.  I don't own the fruit fly that just got smashed to my monitor, either.

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"Well?"  Sango stood with her fists propped on her hips.  "What did he say?"

"He said.. he told me he asked my parents already.  I don't know what they said, though."  Kagome bunched the material of her kimono in her hands nervously.  "Sango, I don't know what to say!  He's wonderful and everything.. he's absolutely one of the nicest guys I've ever met.  Sure, he's a full-blooded youkai.. but he's so nice.. and he's really quite cute.."

"But.."

"But I don't know.  I just don't think I'm ready for this!  If only life could be simple.  If only life could go on like it has, and just keep going that way forever.  You, me, Kikyou, just hanging around all day, inside, at the archery range, riding..  I just can't imagine being away from that!  Argghh..  Lucky you, _you_ don't have to worry about being forced to marry.."

"Oh, Kagome.  This Kouga.. I'm sure your parents will pick the best guy for you.  Don't worry."

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"My lord!  A messenger has arrived!"

Kouga whipped around, his blue eyes following the small, human figure below.  He hopped down from the cave, past the waterfall beside it, and landed on the path several feet ahead of the messenger.

"Ano.." the messenger gulped audibly.  "I have a message for.. Lord Kouga.."

Kouga straightened up and nodded.  "I am Kouga."  He took the rolled-up, beribboned and sealed message from the human's shaking hands.  The human bowed nervously, and Kouga turned and made his way back up to the cliff, half-hearing the human's feet running back down the path.  _Humans.._

He didn't like humans, not really.  He found most of them pitiful and weak, good only for his wolves to hunt.  But he was willing to do almost anything for this human lady he had met, this Lady Kagome.  _She_ was different.  _She_ seemed to glow with beauty and internal strength.

The seal, he noted with light-headedly, bore the sign of the Higurashi nobility.  _She's mine.._  The seal and ribbon fell to the floor, the message unrolled.

He scanned the contents of the letter, heart pounding.  Then, deciding that maybe he had read wrong the first time, he read it again, going over every word, ever letter.  The roaring of his blood filled his ears.  He could hardly believe what he was reading.

_I knew it!  She's mine!  _"Mine.."

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The official engagement of the Lady Kagome Higurashi to the Lord Kouga was an even more tremendous party than the one the Higurashis had thrown to introduce their daughter.  They, of course, were ecstatic.  So was Kouga.

And so was Kagome.  Wasn't she?  She should be; she was being engaged to the one man she was sure she'd ever, ever love.  He was sweet, kind, handsome, and he definitely wasn't a womanizer.  This must be her destiny; she would marry, live happily.  What could go wrong?

She felt as if the wedding couldn't come soon enough.  Two months and three weeks had passed since the engagement.  Only seven days left.  Seven!  Each day, each hour passed by, crawling second by second.  Kagome was, when she wasn't eating or sleeping or bathing, surrounded by a whirlwind of clothes as the desperate race to finish making new outfits came down to a close.  Just _why_ it took so darned long to make clothes (and just why she needed so many) was completely beyond her.  She would be fitted with loose cloth one day, told that it would be ready in two, and find it being readjusted, repinned, and redone the third.

Her fingers itched for her bow and arrows; she hadn't even been within arm's reach of them in days.  In fact, they were placed in a corner of her room, gathering dust at this very moment.  She scowled mentally.  _So close and yet.._

For the hundredth-thousandth-gazillionth time, cloth was draped over her form, pinned, then whisked away only to be replaced by some other cloth.  Some of it was really actually quite pretty.  Well, she supposed it had to be, for it was probably to be her wedding present or something.  The funny thing was, though it _felt_ like all this cloth could make probably a thousand kimonos, in the end it would only amount to about twenty or so.  She wondered dimly just how much money her parents had spent on them, then decided to think of something a little less daunting.

And that definitely meant not thinking about the coming weekend.  Getting married wasn't something she'd thought of often, but now it was staring her in the face.  Not that she really rejected that idea; she just felt that it was all just a little overwhelming.

She sighed.  Thankfully, Sango was around all the time, full of news and court gossip.  So at least Kagome had something to do and wouldn't go crazy.

"Sango.. how much longer.."  She could barely see her friend through the cloud of cloth and brisk women with pins in their mouths and measuring tapes in their hands.

"Not much longer, just one or two more fittings!  Then maybe we can go to the range?"

"Ugh.. yes!"

Finally all the cloths were taken away and Kagome's old kimono was slipped on and tied.  "Your clothing will be ready in a day or so, my lady."  The head dressmaker bowed deeply and left the room with her assistants, leaving the room cleaner and emptier than it had been in days.

In a single leap, Kagome had retrieved her bow and quiver from the corner of her room and jumped to the doorway.  "Let's go!"

_. . . . . . . . . ._

_The_ day was here.  The ceremony was not to be held at the wolves' home nor in the Higurashis' castle, but in a lovely garden on the border between the two territories.  Kagome had managed to persuade her parents to allow her to ride there on her own.  It was early in the morning, the ceremony wasn't until late afternoon, and she wasn't required to be there for another hour or so.  Not to mention, it might be one of the last times she'd get to ride alone without anyone else around guarding.  She would have asked if Sango could come too, but the other girl was busy with other preparations.

Everything she'd need had already been taken there, anyway.  So she put on one of her favourite kimonos, white with green embroidery and obi.  Then she simply went to the stables, (bow and quiver in her hands) found her mare Hoshi, already saddled, and set off happily.

By her calculations, she had at least two hours to make the half-hour ride to the garden, which gave her plenty of time to slow down and enjoy the morning.

_I can't believe this is happening!  It's all like a dream..  In less than a day, I'll be married.._  She shook her head, trying to clear the thoughts.

Hoshi looked back at her for one instant, and she could swear that it snorted.  "Well, it's not like _you're_ the one getting married."  The horse snorted again, and Kagome chuckled.  "C'mon, lets go head by the forest.  Maybe I can practise my archery a bit.  It may be the last time I'll ever touch my bow.."

They rode off the main road, onto a side path that wound its way into the forest.  The forest here was on the outskirts of the Higurashi's domain, close to the base of the mountains, and approaching the domain of the wolves.  The mountains didn't belong to anyone.  More like, nobody really wanted to have them in their domain.  The mountains were full of bandits and demons and such rabble, or so at least Kagome had heard a thousand times from other nobles.  Her mother would probably be freaking out right about now if she found out that Kagome was riding here.  Ah well.. you only live once.

The forest was quiet, save for the chirping of birds and the occasional rustling of leaves as wildlife scampered about.  The only other sound came from the soft thumps of the horse and rider making its way down the dirt path.  Streams of light filtered through the leaves, making stray patterns of shadows on the forest floor.

Kagome sighed as she looked around.  It was so beautiful here.  She had never wandered to this part of the Higurashi domain before; always before she had been accompanied by at least Sango, or else as a part of the entourage of her family.  A songbird alighted on a branch nearby and began twittering its song, bringing a smile to the lady's lips.  She was definitely glad she'd taken this route.

_. . . . . . . . . ._

Hidden by the shadows, a pair of bright, golden eyes followed the young lady's movements.  The young lady's eyes were following the bright streams of sunshine and the patterns it made, or she would have noticed the flash of white.  Clawed hands gripped the tree branch, before releasing and grabbing for the next branch.  The movements fluid, silent.  Only the slight rasp of claws on bark gave the slightest indication of the young lady's follower.

_This is her.  I can tell.  The lady Kagome Higurashi, soon to be married to that bastard of a wolf.  What perfect timing._

Another leap to the next branch, a flash of white and red as the silent figure passed beneath light.  The young lady turned, soft, brown eyes searching the shadows.  The mare snorted nervously, its nostrils flaring in apprehension.

But there was nothing there.  Just the light, the shadows, the singing bird..  The young lady turned back to the path, urging her mare to a slightly faster pace.

A mocking smile.  _You can't get away that easily, human._

Explosion of movement.  A blue of white and red, two golden eyes.  "You're mine.."

_. . . . . . . . . ._

_. . . . . . . . . ._

Well?  How'd you like that?  Don't forget to hinthint **_review_**!  Sorry about the really messed up use of tenses in that last bit.  Never quite got the hang of telling the difference between them.  Anyway.. yeah.. um.. sorry that it's kinda weird.  I'm just trying to make a slight deviation from my normal writing style (wait, I have one?) just for that little bit, plus I'm sleep and sugar deprived, which is never a good combination.  Thankfully I'm not quite caffeine-deprived yet.

And really, really sorry it's taken so long to finish this chapter.  I've been trying to work on it for the past while, but my bro got FFX-2 for his bday, and I've been playing that like crazy.  (more than he has, which is kinda sad considering it's really _his_ game).  Anyway.. between study and exams coming up, I shall still try my hardest to work on the next chap!

Arigatou!! And remember to coughhintnudgewink**_REVIEW_**!!!


	4. Kidnapped!

Hmm.. back to normal (at least.. in my head) writing!  No more funny sentences, I promise.  For now.

Quick note: Hoshi means "star".  (and yes.. there is a horse in a book I've read before named Hoshi, I'm not copying anything from that book.  Except naming a horse "Hoshi".  Meh)

Many apologies for those of you who have been waiting for this chap.  I've been swamped with many things, most noticeably exams. (And thanks to all the ppl who reviewed!)

Cindy: i DO have a reason for doing that. Dun worry, i DID promise that this is InuKag, and InuKag it's gonna be.

also, thanks to Morlana for pointing that out.  Chap 1 has been fixed, and reposted. And yes, they are supposed to be sisters.

Disclaimer: I own Inuyasha about as much as I own the universe.  Which is none of it.  Sadly.  sniffle

_. . . . . . . . . ._

_. . . . . . . . . ._

The quiet forest exploded.  Birds rose from the trees, shrieking their alarm.  Hoshi reared, and it was all Kagome could do not to fall off.

And before even that had time to register in the girl's mind, she was suddenly knocked off by a force that slammed into her side, sending her and the force flying several feet to crash into a tree.  The impact left her feeling very dizzy and more than a little light-headed.  Dimly she saw Hoshi spin around and race away, followed by several fast, blurry figures.  Actually, everything was a big blur.

She shook her head, clearing her vision and her mind.  Something was pressed against her body, constricting her breath.  The force suddenly lifted, and her lungs swelled with much-needed air.  A face was suddenly pressed close to hers, and her breath caught in her throat.

White hair framed a face in which was set the most peculiar eyes.  Golden eyes stared into soft brown, like honey clashing with chocolate.  {don't ask me there that came from.. prolly cuz I'm hungry rite now}

The face pulled back, and her range of vision included two small fangs revealed by a mocking smirk.  "You are no match for me, weak human."

Next, the only thing Kagome heard was the crackling sound of knuckles, followed by a strange pressure where her neck met her shoulders, and then consuming darkness.

_. . . . . . . . . ._

Golden eyes drifted through the dark interior of the cave.  It was nice and quiet in the cave, hidden in the mountains that were no-man's-land.  Except for random human bandits and stray demons, the small pack of dog youkai were the only residents.  Few knew much about each other, and a few knew little about themselves.  Like the leader.  He had joined their ranks decades ago, as a pup.  Nobody knew where he was from, nor who his family was.  He could have been from a noble family, or the son of stray dog youkai.  He had been found unconscious, abandoned, and far from any settlements.  Even he didn't remember anything of his past.

He had proven himself a warrior, fast, efficient, and merciless.  He rose in respect in the small pack, and soon replaced the aging leader, though by youkai terms, he would have still been considered little more than a pup.  In fact, he wasn't even fully youkai.  He was only _half_ demon.  But few resented his human blood; he had more than shown himself capable of being the pack's leader.  They didn't need anyone to lead them as a lord; they were more like bandits, attacking those unfortunate enough to travel in the forest.  For that, all they needed was a leader who was strong and fast.

And merciless.  Why he had simply applied the pressure point rather than knocking her on her head, he didn't know.  He growled softly and flexed his claws, his eyes landing on the lump somewhere in the corner that was the Lady Kagome.

He hated humans.  They were weak, vulnerable.  It was his own human blood that weakened his demon blood.  He wasn't as fast, or as strong, as many full demons.  And there was that one night, every month, when he lost his demon blood entirely.  He hated those times.  He felt so weak then, his senses dulled, his arms and legs useless.  Humans smelt horrible, too.

But this one didn't.  Not entirely.  She smelt.. different, not revolting like other humans.

Feh.  Like he cared.  She was just a tool, his hostage.  Once he got the money and whatever else he could think of from the Higurashis, he'd just forget her.

Easy enough, right?

_. . . . . . . . . ._

Pain.  Incredible, searing, throbbing pain.  Kagome had a headache with a vengeance.  "Itai.." [ouch]

Thankfully, wherever she was, it was pretty dark, so she wasn't also being blinded by light.  Which brought back a few memories..

Kagome sat up, only to cringe from the feeling that a thousand drums were beating inside her head.  When the drumming subsided, she opened her eyes.  She was in what looked like a cave, an empty one, the only source of light being the streams of soft glow coming from the moon just barely visible in the opening.  Wait.  The cave wasn't empty.

A figure was leaning against the wall near the opening, visible only as a silhouette.  Kagome got onto her hands and knees and crawled towards the opening.

Her memory seemed a bit blurred.  Why was she here?  She remembered riding in the forest.. gold eyes.. white hair.. !!

_I.. I must have been captured!  Wha-?  This can't happen!  I'm getting married.._  If only to rub salt in the wound, she was fully bathed in moonlight now.  Her heart sank.  _It's night.. I.. I missed my wedding!  Kouga!_

Without another thought, she scrambled to her feet, and ran.  Maybe, this was just a dream.  She wasn't really in cave, she must be dreaming!  She would run, and find her way home, then she would wake up safe in her bed.

She stopped abruptly at the opening.  From here, there was only a short distance to a cliff edge.  She could see the treetops below, like lumps of dark green and shadow.  She walked slowly to the edge.  Several feet down, there was a ledge, which led to a path leading down into the trees.  There was _no_ way she was getting down there.

Still, she had to try.  Very, very carefully, Kagome edged closer, sitting down so her feet dangled off the edge.  Inch by inch, she moved closer, until most of her lower body was suspended.  She closed her eyes.  _I really hope this is just a dream.._

No such luck.  A hand grabbed the back of her kimono, dragging her back up.

"Can't get away that easily, girl."

"It's just a dream.  It's just a dream."  Kagome whispered the words to herself like they were her lifeline.

"This isn't a dream.  And you aren't getting away."

Whoever it was carried her back inside the cave, slinging her over their shoulder like a sack of potatoes.  The motion only made Kagome's headache throb harder, and she pressed her hands to her temples.  "Owie.."

"Don't complain, girl.  You humans are so weak.."

Kagome was dumped onto the floor, landing hard on her behind.  Her world went black.

_. . . . . . . . . ._

The entire Higurashi household was in state of chaos.

Kagome hadn't shown up at the garden.  Not even after Kouga and his followers showed up.  And now it was night.  A messenger had arrived at the garden, saying that the lady's horse had returned, but without its rider.

Kouga had vowed to scour the entire area, and had left immediately.  The Higurashis left for their own home, leaving behind only a few servants to clean up the place and bring things home.

Sango was beyond nervous.  Kagome was an excellent horsewoman, and the horse she had ridden was one she had trained from a colt.  The two would never leave the other abandoned if they were out for a ride.  The fact that the horse came back alone meant that something bad had happened.

And Sango could guess at just what had happened.  Kagome had always whispered that she longed to ride in the woods, an activity forbidden by her parents and therefore made all the more tempting.

_Kagome.. I hope you're okay!_

_I.. I should probably tell this to Lady Higurashi.  If something really did happen to Kagome while she was riding in the woods.._

She rushed down the hall to find the lady.

_. . . . . . . . . ._

Lady Higurashi paced the floor of the main room.  Her husband was somewhere, talking to guards and organizing search parties.  Which left her with nothing to do but wait and worry.  Her younger daughter still had not returned.  Hours had passed since the riderless horse had arrived at the Higurashi household, but there was no sign of the rider.

Now did she wonder if it had been deliberate.  Had her daughter run away?  Perhaps simply to escape the noble life, perhaps eloping with a secret lover..  Lady Higurashi could not deny that her daughter, both her daughters, were beautiful.  Nor could she deny that she had perhaps been a little strict with them.

Perhaps even a little more strict on her younger daughter.  Kikyou had always shown a love for the temples, and it had seemed to Lady Higurashi that her older daughter would become a miko.  It wasn't that surprising; miko blood had run in the veins of her ancestors, and she was a little proud that one of her daughters should follow that path.  So in preparation, she had always thought of her younger daughter as the one that they would marry.

She had wanted a son, for a while.  But she was happy with her daughters.  Still, knowing that she would one day lose Kagome, she had distanced herself, protecting herself from the inevitable pain of separation.  Perhaps it was this that had made her treat her younger daughter differently.

_Kagome.. if it was I that forced you to leave.. forgive me.._

But what if it hadn't been deliberate?  What if, as she feared, bandits had ambushed her daughter on the road?  She should have seen the folly in allowing her daughter out alone.  It was too late now.  And only now did she realize just how attached she had been.

_My Kagome.. will I ever see you again?_

She shook her head.  No.  Kagome was fine, she probably just had a little accident on the road, and she would be back soon.

_. . . . . . . . . ._

Sango skidded past the open doorway to the main room.  _Stupid socks._  She slip-stepped her way to the doorway, and bowed, fighting to keep her breath under control.

"My lady!"

Lady Higurashi turned, surprised.  "Sango, dear!  What is the matter?"

"My lady, it's about Kagome."

The lady stiffened, then she rushed forward.  "Tell me!"

"I think.. when she went riding.." she gulped.  "I think she went down the forest path.."

All colour drained from Lady Higurashi's face.  "The forest path.."

At that moment, the several soldiers burst in through the doorway.  "M'lady!"

_Uh oh.. now what?_  Sango stepped closer to the lady.

The soldiers parted, revealing a ragged, dirty, dog youkai in human form.  He bared his fangs in a mocking smile.

"Lady Higurashi.  I have a message for you."

[I'd stop now, but that would be evil, wouldn't it?]

"Who are you?"  Lady Higurashi straightened to her full height, surrounding herself with dignity and authority.

"I am of no importance to you.  However, I suppose that your daughter might be.."  He grinned.

Lady Higurashi sagged just a little.  "Where is she?"  she demanded.

"Oh.. you can't have her back that easily.  We worked hard to capture her, our little prize.  She's unharmed at the moment, but if you ever want to see her again.. we have our own little demands."  The coldness in his eyes shattered the falseness of his mocking smile.  He took out a small scroll from his clothing and tossed it to her.  "You have a week"  He turned.

Sango caught the scroll as Lady Higurashi stepped forward.  "Where is my daughter?  Just give her back!"

"I'm sorry, _m'lady_" the last word just bubbled with sarcasm.  "That isn't something we're going to do.  And oh, you'll have to find us.  Wherever we are."  He brushed aside the soldiers with ease, though they tried to stop him.  "I think we understand each other."

Sango ran past the soldiers.  He musn't get away!  But she was too late.  The youkai was running full speed, leaping up over the gate with seemingly effortless ease.

And just like that, he was gone.

_. . . . . . . . . ._

_. . . . . . . . . ._

phew! That took long enough.

Dang. Sorry about that, guys.  I planned to get this out before exams started, but then they just went whoosh! And I never really got around to it.  Ack.  I actually started writing this chap as soon as I finished the last one (it's true!) but .. as you can see, it took me quite a while to get it done.  Anyway.  School's almost over.  I have about two days, then freedom!  (That means.. more time to write! Yay! Let's hope I don't run into writer's block.  Seems to be a frequent occurrence)


	5. Deeper

A/N (chapter 5, reloaded to fix (author's notes) so they no longer look like part of the story. sorry, guys.)

Yay for reviewers!

Disclaimer: Maybe if I think about it hard enough.. it will come true.. _I own Inuyasha. I own Inuyasha. I own Inuyasha._ opens eyes dang.. didn't work..

Sango's horse is named Yume – dream. Don't ask me why; I don't know why either.

- - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - -

Early the next morning, Sango was called to see Lady Higurashi.

"Sango.."

"My lady?"

"I'm going to assign you a mission. I need someone to find these youkai rabble. I would send some of the soldiers, but they are next to useless in uncivilized combat. You have such combat training, yes?"

"Hai." Sango had undergone training for the sole reason of protecting Kagome, if ever the occasion should arise. Fortunately, she had never had to do that, but it would seem the training had finally paid off.

"Good. Those soldiers are trained to fight in human fights, but I doubt that they would last longer than a second against youkai. I want you to track down Kagome, as fast as possible. Return here, and inform me of there location." She pulled out a scroll and tossed it to Sango. "That is authorization for your trip. Everything you need is out at the stables along with your horse. You should leave after breakfast. I apologize for the lack of preparation, but this is important." She nodded, dismissing Sango.

After breakfast, Sango hurried to her room. She was feeling a little put out, having been ordered to do something without even being asked.. but then, she _was_ working for the Higurashis, and they _did_ have the right to order her to do this. After all, she was supposed to be looking after Kagome, and this would count as part of her job.

There was nothing in her room she might need; she trotted to the stables. There, Yume her horse waited with supplies ready.

She sighed. It felt very dreamlike, this mission. Everything was just so abrupt. Whatever. She mounted the horse and set on her way, heading for the path she felt Kagome would have taken.

That one old path, leading into the woods. And, as luck would have it, straight to the mountains. Kagome had expressed interest in it several times, but she had never been allowed to explore it. In fact, none of them ever had. The mountains were home to bandits and rabble of both the human and demon kind, so Lord Higurashi had forbidden any of the Higurashi household or the villagers in their domain to travel near it. Too dangerous, was his reason.

Well, he was right. But that didn't help Kagome, who was probably sitting in some damp, dark cave, surrounded by dirty, unkempt dog youkai bandits. The thought made Sango shudder.

But there was another thing on her mind. She had no idea just how far this path went, or how far Kagome had gone. There were no visible tracks on the hard dirt path, and though broken twigs and mashed leaves lay across the path, it could be the work of any creature passing through. There were no clear signs that a horse and rider had passed through.

Sango was in for a long, tedious, and very risky mission.

- - - - - - - - - -

When Kagome woke, again, the pain made her earlier headache seem like a daisy. To say that she had a headache now was like saying you only had a mere scratch when you'd had your arm chopped off. anybody know where that came from?

So instead of trying to move, or escape, which seemed to result in an increase of pain, she drew her knees up as close to her chest as she could, and wrapped her arms around her legs in a deathgrip. A somewhat difficult thing to do when one was lying on one's side, but she managed it nevertheless. It didn't really make the pain go away, but at least she felt a little more secure this way. She squeezed her eyes shut until stars danced on the inside of her eyelids, and gritted her teeth.

There was no way around this. She was definitely in trouble. By now Kagome had figured out that it _wasn't_ a dream, that she couldn't make the pain go away as easily as she wanted to, and that there was probably a snowball's chance in hell that she'd ever get away safely and without causing more pain to her poor head.

The slight motion of curling up did not go unnoticed. The same pair of golden eyes watched from the shadowy depths of the cave. White claws tapped impatiently on a red-clad knee.

_Where is that messenger? I just want this to be over with. That's what our plan was. Grab the girl, get the money, go. That's what our plan has always been. The last time we tried this, we got to the 'go' part in five days. We're not even at the getting money part this time._ The crawling pace of this kidnap was painful. Maybe, if it dragged on longer, they'd just dump the girl somewhere, and move on.

Somehow, that thought made something twang inside him. Like he didn't want to think of doing that. How very strange. It was like.. like part of him, the normal part, the part that had come up with that idea thought it was perfectly rational, perfectly good. And then there was some odd, small, insignificant but horribly persistent part didn't like that idea.

_Agghhhh. Leave me alone!_ He pressed his claws lightly against his temples, frustrated. They'd done that before, dumped a girl off in the middle of nowhere when the mission had taken too long. And he had never had second thoughts about doing that. Until now.

Was some weird, morbid part of him attracted to this girl? _Whatever the reason, it had better go away. And fast._ He removed one hand from his head and clenched it into a fist, letting the claws dig into his palm.

Blood dripped onto stone, splattering into black-red marks in the shadows. Golden eyes watched the immobile girl, anger and frustration glowing in their depths. The fist relaxed, white claws darkened at the tips in deep crimson.

The faint sound of rapidly moving feet started the fist's owner into action. He stood up and strode over to the opening of the cave, sunlight gleaming in his white hair. Down on the path below, a demon sped towards the cave.

In a few moments, a very out-of-breath messenger stopped at the front of the cave. "Inuyasha-sama."

Golden eyes returned the gaze of the messenger. "Yes?"

"The message was delivered, sir."

"So we now have a week. Let's hope they're as anxious to get back their girl as we think they are. I don't want to stay here longer than necessary." He looked down over the forest below. "The wolves are getting restless. You know, that mangy wolf-boy Kouga was planning to marry her." He grinned, showing sharp teeth. "I'd just love to see what he thinks now. Ain't so high and mighty now, is he?" A laugh, dark and reckless. Rivalry ran deep between the wolf demons and this small but efficient and dangerous pack. So, too, did anger, and the wish for anything that might cause pain to the other. Most of it stemming from this young leader, all but brimming with hatred.

It was definitely a dangerous situation, no less so to the girl currently curled up and silently wishing herself to be dreaming. Which, given the situation, was a perfectly sane idea. If only it was true.

- - - - - - - - - -

The only thing Sango hated more than being forced to wear pretty but uncomfortable kimonos in a pretty but uncomfortable room full of pretty but uncomfortable nobles was being forced to bear the presence of a pretty but uncomfortingly comfortable man. Which _this_ guy most definitely was.

Oh, pretty, that was true. Deep indigo eyes, almost-constant-smile, etc, etc. Not only that, but quite to her surprise, she was quite comfortable in his presence.

Which was what made it such an uncomfortable situation. Having served the Higurashi's for the better part of her life, and been Kagome's friend even longer, she had little contact with boys, at least not after she entered the Higurashi's household. So generally she avoided boys like the plague. Her life was expected to be spent entirely in Kagome's service, as her personal maid. It didn't allow much space for contact with members of the male gender. What little contact she had with those close to her age was short, impersonal, and rather awkward. I mean, at least when they actually noticed she was there.

So now that there was this guy, who was indeed very attractive, and Sango actually felt comfortable in his presence.. was a very strange and unusual thing.

She wasn't sure she liked it.

Not to mention, she wasn't exactly sure that having someone else around while she was on this mission was a good idea. Besides, would you really trust a monk who wandered around in the woods? No less, the woods that so many said was haunted by demons and human rabble.

So when he had shown up at her camp one night, she had been somewhat unsettled.

She growled under her breath. Even his _horse_ was unsettling her. It kept nosing at hers, kept trying to edge closer. In response, her own mount edged away, or shook its head, annoyed.

"So." She nearly jumped. They had managed not to say anything at each other all morning, and she had become content in the silence.

"Yes, houshi-sama?"

"What brings a lovely lady like yourself all the way out here?" He flashed her a bright smile, indigo eyes twinkling.

She spared him a quick glance. "I am on a mission." She kept her eyes on the path ahead. This man was a charmer, who probably flashed his pretty smile at every female he came across. She could bet her life on that. She wanted to give him no indication whatsoever that she was in any way open to him. She was Kagome Higurashi's handmaiden. It was better to simply leave it at that.

"Really? Well, I would be most happy to offer you my services. I'm sure you can tell that I am a monk. And this is a very dangerous part of the world, haunted by demons and the like. For a small fee, I can escort you and ensure your protection from such dangers."

_Yeah, and I can bet I know what that "small fee" would be._ "No, thank you. I am quite capable of protecting myself." Sango kept her head high, careful to avoid even glancing in his direction.

"Then perhaps.."

"No."

Silence followed their tracks, all the way to the hasty camp they set up that night.

- - - - - - - - - -

Sango settled comfortably into the warm side of her horse and tilted her head to rest against its belly. Stars could be seen through the tree canopy, occasionally thrown into obscurity by the thin trail of smoke rising from the dying campfire. They shone like ethereal diamonds against the twilight sky.

- - - - - - - - - -

Across the fire, the young priest settled his back against a tree, leaning his staff against a large root. His gaze wandered to the lovely woman whose eyes blinked with fatigue.

His hand twitched; wanting to reach out to her..

He tore his mind away from his current train of thoughts. It was just this kind of mindset that had gotten his ancestor, and thus himself, into his predicament. Violet eyes strayed to the string of beads wrapped around his hand and forearm.

He came from a long line of priests. The profession was passed, taught from father to son. Unfortunately, an unquenchable love for women also ran through the blood. Somewhere along the line, so he was told, one of his ancestors had been surprised in the presence of several women, unprotected and unable to defend completely defend himself. The demon who attacked him had cursed him with a hole in his hand. The hole was, in essence, a black hole that would suck everything in range into itself. Every time it was used, it would grow bigger. Eventually, it would grow strong enough that its final use would suck the user into it as well, effectively vanquishing itself.. and the unfortunate who had once wielded it.

The string of beads was wrapped around his arm, pressed against the hole. It protected him, and everything around him, from being sucked into it. His life's goal, everything that he lived for, was to kill the demon who had cursed his ancestor. Such had been the life of his father, and his father's father, all the way back to that single incident. Should he fail in this, his son would carry on the burden of revenge.

This led to his asking _the_ question to every woman he met – with the exception of this one. Somehow, he felt that the answer would _not_ be a blushing, femininely shy one. So he told himself he'd wait until he thought she'd say yes. So far, she hadn't said much at all. In fact, she hadn't even told him his name, but to be fair, he had completely forgotten to give her his too.

He would ask tomorrow.

- - - - - - - - - -

Sango woke early, determined to be up and ready before the monk awoke. As it was, she was surprised to find him fully dressed and munching on some of his own provisions when she returned from washing up at the river's edge. Her long hair, cold and wet from the washing, hung limply down her back. She stopped at the edge of the makeshift camp and quickly squeezed out what water she could.

Feeling better, she dug out some breakfast from her bag and wrapped the loose ends around her shoulders, then looked over at the monk. He was had finished eating, and being a monk, had nothing to pack up. He picked up his staff and looked expectantly at her.

"Shall we begin?"

Instead of answering, she mounted her horse and nudged it down the path they were following. He followed suit, and soon they settled into a quiet pace.

Sango bit into her breakfast hungrily. It didn't consist of much, just some of the dried foods Lady Higurashi had given her when she left. There wasn't very much left, but she hoped to find someplace where she could buy more.

As if reading her thoughts, the monk spoke up. "You know, there's a village a short way from here. We could stop there tonight and get some rest. Besides, if they're this close to the forest, I'm sure they'll be in need of my services."

She ignored him. She didn't trust him much; she had learnt over the years that strangers on the road were not to be trusted. Never mind strangers in the demons' forest. She pressed on without speaking, frowning when he drew up beside her.

"I thought that if I were to travel with such a lovely woman such as yourself, we should at least be introduced. My name is Miroku." He stuck out a hand to her, flashing a brilliant smile, violet eyes twinkling.

"Sango." She ignored his hand, pointedly keeping here eyes on the path ahead.

"Sango! What a beautiful name, perfect for such a beautiful woman. I am most delighted to be in your company."

She ignored him.

- - - - - - - - - -

Everything on the table clattered, sending splatters of food onto those too slow to move out of the way.

Kouga lifted his hand from where he'd slammed it onto the table, rose and stalked away. He was angry. He was mad. He was downright furious. (please, please, _please_ don't let my Writer's Craft teacher see that!)

Not only had his fiancée been kidnapped – right before their wedding – but it had been at the hands of the despised dog youkai. They were his most hated enemies, the blot in his picture of the world. He hated them with every fibre of his being; now he hated them even more.

He vowed revenge. He would get back his woman, and he would slay every single last of the damnable dogs.

- - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - -

Sorry about the really long wait, guys. You'd think I'd have more time during the summer, but I actually didn't (actually, I did, but suffice it to say I was really, really lazy for the most part and then work hit me.) Ok! I will do my best to keep things back up and running, but university applications are rearing their ugly heads and keeping marks up is my first priority. (For those who graduated before or graduate this year.. _I feel your pain!!_ Ugh.

So, I hope this slightly-longer chapter makes you feel a little better, and don't forget – review!!


	6. Changes

A/N chapter 6, reloaded to fix (author's comments) so they no longer look like part of the story. sorry, guys. (edited, for the second time, missed a comment the first time around)

New character! She won't get in the way of any pairings, that's a promise.

Btw, I just realized there's a type in chap 3. somewhere in the first half, the line goes "A blue of white and red..".. it's supposed to be "a blur of white and red" sorry if that confused any of you.

- - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - -

The headache had finally gone away, but in its place came the discomforts of sleeping on cold, hard stone, and long days with little food. Sleep was fitful, constantly interrupted by the sounds that echoed loudly through the caves.

A slender hand rubbed eyes grown dull and circled with fatigue. Brown eyes, the hopeful light gone, stared nowhere.

And always, the gold eyes watched. Always, watching, waiting.

- - - - - - - - - -

It had been two days. Two long, dragged-out, restless days. Two days of pure torture. Two days of doing nothing but sit in a cold damp cave, surrounded by dogs, and wait and hope for rescue. But even in so short a time, hope could fade. Hope could die.

As Kagome's was dying. She had all but given up hope that she would be rescued. Her only saving grace was that one of the youkai had taken pity, and they had developed a wary sort of camaraderie (am I spelling that right..?). Kimiko was the only female in the entire pack. She was a full-blooded inu youkai, and could only be described as warrior. It was a miracle to Kagome that Kimiko was at all sympathetic to her.

Kimiko, for her own part, saw a strength in the human female, but saw also a great sadness. The pain and hopelessness that fell from the girl's face was not sprung solely from having been kidnapped. It was not the weakness of a noble's daughter. And somehow, intuitively, she sensed that this was not a weak noble's daughter. No, the pain and hopelessness was sprung from a deep loss, as if everything that she held dear was torn, ripped away and barred from her.

She knew this pain. She had felt this pain.

She knew also that the pain for this girl was different. Kimiko was born and raised a warrior. Every fibre of her being was trained and honed to a deadly force. This human child was born and raised a lady. There was a little sympathy to be had there.

She sat down beside the girl, tucking her legs in and settling down comfortably. Amber eyes watched a fat, round tear roll down the pale cheek.

"Higurashi-san… don't cry." She brushed at her hair, cream with a single, blood red streak. She wrapped one arm around the girl's shoulders and squeezed gently, hoping to give comfort. "It will be okay."

- - - - - - - - - -

Sango and Miroku stiffened. The rings on Miroku's shakujou monk's staff jangled in a warning tone.

"Something's here."

Sango bit her lip. She had been trained in combat, yes… but she would never have been able to guess that she's have to try out her skills in her first real combat… in the demon's forest. It was unnerving.

She prayed it was just a harmless animal and not a demon.

No such luck.

Shrubs and leafy undergrowth exploding. White claws, flying dirt. Cold brown eyes. Wooden staff, capped in golden rings, swung protectively. Brown eyes, retreating into the shadows, waiting.

Waiting, watching. Backing slowly, step by step, deeper into the shadows. Gone.

- - - - - - - - - -

Sango shivered.

"It's gone?"

"It appears so." Miroku lowered the staff, slowly. The two continued to watch the spot where the youkai had disappeared, their horses sweating and paralyzed with fear.

It was undoubtedly one from the same band that had kidnapped Kagome. Sango worried that this would alert them to her presence. What would they do? She prayed they would not hurt Kagome. And she prayed that they would not be attacked many more times before they reached Kagome. A monk's staff and a lady's maid's combat training would not hold off youkai attack for very long.

They stayed there for several more minutes, until the regular noises of the forest resumed and all sense of danger had dissipated.

Eventually Sango shook her head, and nudged Yume forward, followed quickly by Miroku. They were eager to leave this spot and find a safer place.

- - - - - - - - - -

Kikyou was trembling with rage. How dare they kidnap her sister!

Angrily, she released the arrow, letting it sink into the target with a _thunk_. She picked up the next arrow stuck in the ground next to her and knocked it, then let it fly to split the first arrow.

She let out her anger, furiously shooting arrow after arrow, until she had no arrows left. Then she retrieved the last one from the target and yanked out the remains of the others, slamming them to the ground.

Her burst of angry energy spent, she collapsed onto the ground, sobbing.

_Why… Why Kagome? Why have you taken her from us?!_

Slowly the flow of tears stopped, and she rose, pale and shaking with a combination of anger and sadness. She swiped at her eyes with her sleeve, and silently vowed revenge.

- - - - - - - - - -

A figure landed in the opening of the cave and bent deep to the golden-eyed shadow. "Sir."

"What is it now?"

"Sir, we spotted two humans moving through the forest."

"Two humans? Alone?"

"Yes, sir. One is a monk, the other is a young female."

"Hm."

Golden eyes glanced towards the tightly curled shape in a corner of the cave.

"They must be coming for her. We'll have to move. Have Haruto stay here in case they are looking for her."

"Sir, we've also received reports that Kouga is on the move."

White claws clenched.

"Finally waking up, hey, mongrel? I'll show you who the boss is around here. I'll slaughter every single last one of your damned curs, and then I'll kill you."

He bared his teeth in a feral grin and laughed.

- - - - - - - - - -

"Higurashi-san!" Kimiko shook the girl's shoulder gently.

Kagome blinked, then rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. "uhnn..? What time is it?"

Kimiko chuckled. "Not quite sunrise. We –"

"Get up. We're moving" A tall figure swept past, golden eyes gleaming coldly in the shadows.

Kagome shivered.

- - - - - - - - - -

"Hurry up! Humans, always so slow. Hey, can you at least pick up the pace?" Inuyasha stood several metres ahead on the path, fists propped up against his hips. He glared angrily at Kagome, every muscle in his body twitching, anxious to keep moving.

Kagome walked a little faster, her eyes glued to the ground. Her heart felt like a stone, devoid of any emotions. She had no energy to spend on defiance, every last ounce focussed on continuing. On living. On surviving.

Where was Kouga? She missed him. Did he miss her? Was he, at this very moment, planning her rescue? The pebbly ground passed under her feet as the thoughts flew through her mind.

Suddenly, she bumped into something. Rather, someone. She took a step back and looked up into cold, golden eyes. Another step back, and she could see his entire face, framed by long, white hair, with two triangular… ears?

One of them twitched, and she had to resist the temptation to reach up and touch it. She bit her lip as she glanced back into his eyes.

He turned around and crouched. "Get on."

"What?" She took another step back.

"What are you, stupid? Get on. You're too damned slow."

She hesitated, then tentatively stepped close. A small cry escaped her lips as Inuyasha, impatient with her timidity, wrapped his hands under her knees and stood up abruptly, bending forward slightly so she wouldn't fall. She wrapped her arms desperately around his neck, shocked out of her shyness.

"Not so tight! You trying to choke me or somethin'?"

"Oh… sorry…" she whispered, then loosened her arms, suddenly aware of their closeness.

"Yeah, well… Hold on, or you'll fall off. I don't want you to waste more time than you already have."

With that, he bounded forward, taking a huge leap into the air. Kagome emitted a small squeak, surprised. He glanced back at her for a moment, then turned back to the path ahead. Kagome looked back. The rest of the small pack followed in much the same fashion, jumping every now and then and settling into a run. A very fast run. They were very easily and effortlessly running faster than even the fastest horses Kagome had seen. _Demons.._

It was hard to forget her captors weren't human.

- - - - - - - - - -

Without opening her eyes, Sango swung a hand in front of her face, leaving a very red, rather painful mark on the face hovering inches from hers.

"Sango, I was just checking to see that you were breathing, honest!"

"Yeah right. Now back off." Sango was not quite so much angered as simply irritated. She had (frightful thought!) become used to the thought of having Miroku as a travelling companion, even if it was (hopefully) only temporarily. Sadly, within the space of a few days – three, to be exact; she counted every minute until she would find the very-soon-to-be-dead-bandits – she had also learned to anticipate and respond to Miroku's… habits. Generally the response ended up in Miroku getting a very nice red hand-shaped mark on his face. Or the threat of never being able to use the offending hand again.

"I would like you to know, I am an honourable priest, in search of enlightenment, and – hey, where are you going?"

"Moving." Sango replied shortly. "The sun's rising. I'm going, with or without you."

"Whoa, hey, hey, no need to be so impatient, m'lady!" Miroku scrambled to his horse. He kept all he needed within the voluminous folds of his cloak (oh, I just love that expression! Okay. Back to writing..), and was ready to move, having slept sitting up against a tree.

Sango quickly saddled her horse and threw the saddlebags over its back (yes, "its", not "it's" see note at bottom if you're confused). and clambered into the saddle. _Please, please... let me find Kagome!_

She nudged her horse forward.

- - - - - - - - - -

High up in the mountains, Haruto looked down into the forest, watching the two mounted figures make their way down the path. Towards the mountain. Towards Haruto. Towards where Kagome Higurashi had been. But they were now too late to find her.

He smiled. Inuyasha would be pleased.

- - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - -

note about apostrophes – "its" vs. "it's" –skip to bottom of page.

Well, I'm very, very sorry for the extremely long time it took me to finish this. In fact, I would have made it longer, but I decided I may as well throw this one out to you guys for the time being, and just go on to a new chapter. Surprisingly, after 6 chapters, I have managed NOT to write myself into a corner I couldn't get out of, something of an accomplishment.

I would also like to add – I take back that comment last chap wishing that my Writer's Craft teacher wouldn't see that sentence. I now hope she'll never see any of this, because she'll strangle me if she ever sees how badly I write while taking the course. Sad. Then again, this isn't really being marked, and I'm not going to spend the time to go over and edit it because I would probably go mad and strangle myself.

This is one of my pet peeves. Apologies to those of you who commit these mistakes simply because you never understood, but now you can't say I didn't try. The apostrophe is generally used in two situations: when used to indicate possession (Kagome's, Inuyasha's) – with an exception: it. Never, ever, EVER use an apostrophe to indicate possession with "it".

True, a phrase may go "Inuyasha's furry ears" but you just can't say "it's furry ears". Don't ask why, (I know it may not make sense, but there's a reason) it just is.

Situation #2 (and thus, the aforementioned reason): when it is an abbreviation. This is only the case with "it" that you may use an apostrophe – "it's" is an abbreviation for "it is", or "it has", etc, etc.

There. Now for all of you aspiring writers (or for those of you who just never understood), there you have it. And if I make such a mistake within my writing, please, please let me know lest I should glimpse it accidentally and then strangle myself, effectively ending any more story-writing. You don't want that, do you?

And finally, REVIEW!!! Woop. Okay, very long endnote. I'm done (and I have Writer's Craft class next)


	7. Convergence

Many, many thanks to those who review.. I love you all!

And I'm very sorry for those of you to whom the er.. apostrophe situation might relate. I just kinda snapped after reading that kind of mistake (a side effect of being a EWC student, but there you go.) far too many times.

Ahh, and I reloaded chapters 5 and 6, apparently FF didn't like the square brackets I used for author notes. Henceforth, author's notes will be done in round brackets and italics so they don't get confused with erm.. normal side comments in round brackets? You'll get the idea. (and oh, look.. they won't let me do a series of dashes for spacers. so just one, apparently. I do wish they would just set up one standard and stick with it instead of changing it every month or two.)

Disclaimer: Inuyashamine? Sadly, no.. InuyashaRumiko Takahashi's.

-

-

Sango brought a hand up to shade her eyes as she looked around. Ahead, the sun shone brightly against the mountains, and highlighted the tops of the trees.

"Over there, I'm sure of it. They must be in the mountains." She spurred her horse forward.

"Pray tell, just who are we looking for, Sango?" Miroku frowned as he contemplated the mountains. He preferred not to be anywhere near them, much less spending time in them.

"A friend. A very dear friend, who was kidnapped by some wretched demons." She spat angrily. _I will find her, and I will find them. And I will make them pay._ How dare they kidnap her best friend and mistress!

"Ah, I see. Well then, let me offer you my help. I have…" His words were cut off as he accidentally rode straight into a branch overhanging the path. He sputtered and made a face.

Sango looked back at him, and, seeing his expression, burst out laughing.

Miroku smiled. Her laughter was beautiful, and her face lit up so brilliantly. He sighed. Such a beautiful woman, strong and tempered. If only she wouldn't slap him so much.

-

Kouga growled as he ran through the forest. How dare he! How dare Inuyasha kidnap his Kagome! _She is _my_ woman! Inuyasha will pay!_

"Hey Kouga, where are we going?" One of the wolf demons behind him called out.

Kouga snarled. "Wherever Kagome is!" _And then I will tear that mangy mutt to pieces…_

"Hey, does he even know where she is?" Kouga heard Ginta, one of the demons ask another.

"Gee, I sure hope so. I don't know, man. Kouga seems pretty pissed. We could be running around for days and never find her."

"We will find her!" Kouga shouted. He clenched his hands into fists and ran faster, leaving the rest of the pack behind.

"Hey Kouga, wait up!" He heard one of them yell. He ignored them and ran even faster.

"I… have to… find Kagome!" And he knew where he was headed. Straight for the mountains beyond the Demon's Forest. This time, he would show those mangy dogs where they belonged.

-

Haruto leaned against the wall of the cave and yawned. This was very boring work, having to stay behind and wait for two stupid humans to catch up. He'd much rather be moving on with the pack. But orders were orders, so here he was, and here he would have to stay. Not long, hopefully. He hoped the humans weren't as stupid as he'd always thought they were, or he might grow old just waiting. _At this rate, I might as well jump up and down, wave my arms, and yell "Over here!" Sheesh. How come I always get stuck with the boring stuff? They better hurry up and find this place._

He glanced lazily down at the path. The two humans had settled into a faster pace, and they seemed determined. He narrowed his eyes. A woman? Two? No, one was a monk, dressed in black and purple, and the other… A young woman, long black ponytail streaming behind her as they galloped along. Determination was etched into every inch of her face.

He yawned again and blinked sleepily. Boooooring. Couldn't they hurry it up a bit?

-

Kouga leaped and perched on a boulder, scanning the mountains. Where would they be? He could smell _their_ scent, the disgusting reek of unwashed dogs. And he could smell hers. The sweet, unique scent that was Kagome. His Kagome. But the smell wasn't very distinctive, covered over as it was by the stench that permeated the place. He closed his eyes and sniffed, searching out the source of the smell. He turned slowly and opened his eyes.

There. He saw a series of cliffs and caves, overlooking the forest. He knew he would find them there. He glanced back; Ginta and the others were running frantically, trying to catch up. He growled. Couldn't they hurry up? Why were they so slow?

He snarled and leapt ahead, eager to deal out justice to his woman's unworthy captors.

-

Sango's eyes moved constantly, searching the trees, ground, the brush, for any sign that Kagome or the inu youkai had passed by. _Kagome, where are you!_

"Sango! Over there! I see something!" Miroku pointed up near the mountains, where a small figure could be seen leaping from boulder to boulder.

_Kouga!_ "They must be over there!" Sango spurred her horse into as fast a gallop as she dared, fear and anticipation tingling through her body. "Please, please, please.. we have to get there and save her!"

-

(okay, time for a scene that's longer than like, 10 lines. I apologize, I seem to have run into a massive corridor filled with writer's block.)

Haruto stiffened as a new scent reached his nose. _Wolf…_

Well, what did they expect, really? They kidnapped the daughter of powerful human nobles, who was betrothed to be married to a powerful wolf demon, and to top it all off, they had to do it the day she was supposed to get married. A brilliant stroke of genius, to be sure, but somewhat suicidal. If the enraged wolf demon didn't kill them first, then perhaps the guards and soldiers of the Higurashis would, and if even they weren't enough, there was always the girl's miko sister.

Fortunately, so far he had only spotted the two humans, who couldn't possibly be that much of a challenge, and smelled the wolf. If he was lucky he'd get out of this alive. But he wouldn't trust his luck.

He checked over everything in the cave. It was stripped empty; everything of any use or value had been taken, and anything worthless had been burnt or dumped somewhere. The entire cave would still smell like inu youkai, of course, but that would do nothing for those trying to find the Higurashi girl.

He smiled and flexed his claws, cracking his knuckles. They were so close, he could tell.

As if on cue, there came a shout below.

"You there! Halt!" A young man's voice shouted below.

"What do you want?" The snarled reply reeked of wolf, full of stubborn pride and impatience.

"What is your business here? Ohh.." The shout was cut off, and a female voice took its place.

"Kouga! Is Kagome there?"

"No, but if I find the curs that took her, I'm gonna tear them limb from limb."

Haruto shivered involuntarily. He had no doubt that the wolf demon would. Nevertheless, he had to stay here on Inuyasha's orders. He crept forward, so he could see what was happening outside the cave without making himself noticeable.

A very irate wolf youkai stood not twenty five feet below, on a rocky ledge. His tail twitched impatiently, and he had his fists propped on his hips. Two humans, a pretty girl and a monk, clambered up to the ledge. The girl wore a green skirt wrapped around a pink and white kimono, and had her long black hair bound loosely back. The monk's shakujou jangled as he reached down to help the girl up, who looked warily at him before ignoring his hand and pulling herself up over the edge.

"Keep your hands to yourself, houshi." She sniffed and walked forward, to the next ledge.

"But Sango, I-" He hurried after her, hands outstretched in a gesture of innocence. Kouga watched them, his features stony.

"No." She brushed him away and set to climbing the next ledge. Kouga bounded easily up and reached down to help her, and she grabbed his hand. The monk climbed up on his own, face crestfallen.

"Enough." Kouga snarled. "We're here to find Kagome. Hey mutt-face! Where are you!" He yelled.

Haruto squeaked as the shout reverberated and pummelled his ears.

"There!" Haruto fell back and scrambled backwards to the cave as the very angry wolf youkai leaped into sight. "You!" He advanced on the now-quite-frightened-Haruto. "Wait a minute…" Kouga closed his eyes and sniffed the air. "She's not here anymore! Where have you taken her!" He reached down and swiped at Haruto, grabbing him by his ratty shirt and lifted him into the air. "Tell me where Kagome is!"

Haruto kicked his legs feebly and wrapped his hands around Kouga's wrist. "I… I don't know… Th.. they left me here… to wait for…" Kouga dropped him unceremoniously.

Sango came up. "Where is she? You can't tell us to bring you a ransom and then expect us to find you when you move all over the place! What is wrong with you, anyway?"

"I uhh.. they went.. that way…" Haruto gulped and pointed in the general direction that he'd seen Inuyasha leave.

"Good. Now, if I find that you've lied, and my woman ain't where you say she is, I will come back and rip you to pieces," Kouga snarled. With that, he pivoted and marched off to meet the winded wolves who finally had caught up. "Hurry up." He growled and leaped off again.

"Oh, not again!" Ginta complained.

"We just got there!" Another wolf whined.

They ran after Kouga.

The girl glanced at Haruto, then turned away and started lowering herself off the ledge. "Miroku, let's go."

-

"Higurashi-san."

Kagome blinked. They had spent the night in the mountains, in a large empty cave. She had slept as she always did now, curled up into a tight ball, as if protecting the last glimmer of hope that lay within her. Slowly she pushed herself up on an elbow.

"It's time to go, Higurashi-san." Kimiko smiled sympathetically.

"What time is it?"

"Not quite sunrise." She smiled wryly. "Even I don't want to get up and start running around, but the mighty Inuyasha must be obeyed."

"I heard that, Kimiko," Inuyasha growled in their direction. "And just for that, you get to scout."

Kimiko rolled her eyes. "You want me to carry Kagome, too?"

Golden eyes narrowed. Yes, let her carry the girl. And no, no, some part said no. Why? Why no?

He opened his mouth. His eyes flashed in the direction of the human girl, who was blinking sleepily, her hair tumbling in shadowy tresses over her shoulders. "ye.. NO!"

He realized what he'd done, and took a deep breath. "No."

Kimiko hesitated, confusion swirling in her mind. "Okay…"

"Just go!"

Kimiko stiffened at the irritation in her leader's voice, and pattered Kagome's shoulder comfortingly before rising quickly and walking to the edge of the camp, in the direction that they were headed in. Behind her, Kagome shook her head to clear it, and stood up, barely hiding a head-splitting yawn. _What time is it again? Oh, right… just before sunrise…_

-

A few feet away, golden eyes blinked in confusion. _What did I just do? Why? What is it about her? Why do I…_ He clenched his hands into fists, the nails biting into his palms and almost drawing blood. _No matter. It will be finished soon, and she will be gone. That will be the end of the matter, as it has always been with those we captured and ransomed._

_Then why am I so confused?_

-

-

whoo! Chapter 7, finished, finally! Sorry about the extremely long wait. It's been quite busy lately, what with the marks our teachers send to university due this week, and all those additional applications due. whew

anyway, I hope this chapter's up to par with you guys, please, please, PLEASE rr! muah I love all you reviewers.


	8. Running

Oops. In that previous chapter, it should have been "..and pattED Kagome's shoulder" not pattered. Sheesh, can't type anymore these days. I'd fix it directly on the file, but I'm too lazy.

Another quick note. In case I forgot this detail and said there were any shards of the Shikon lying around, there aren't supposed to be. Not at this point in the story, anyway. (Or perhaps not at all..)

Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi owns Inuyasha. Not me.

* * *

_

* * *

What's with Inuyasha? I was just teasing him. _

Kimiko jogged down the path, only half minding where she was going. The others should have just about finished packing up. _It was as I'd ticked him off. Not that it would really surprise me; Inuyasha has a pretty short temper, especially when he's low on sleep. We're all a bit low on sleep._

She leaped over a rotting, fallen tree speckled with fungi and moss. _I don't get it. He's been so testy lately. I suppose it's because this kidnapping job is taking too long. That, and now the wolf youkai tribe will be after us, and Inuyasha's been eager to draw their blood. Always has. Damn men and their pride._

_Or it could be the girl. She is different from the others. She is weak, true, but there is an inner strength to her, that perhaps there was not in the others. Or perhaps it is that she hides her inner strength, and tries to protect herself, that she appears weak._ She leaped up into a large tree and surveyed the surroundings quickly, then jumped back down. _She is a nice girl, and I think we might almost be friends, if we were not her kidnappers. Perhaps…_

"But no, not for Inuyasha." She smiled sadly and stopped at the edge of a cliff. "_He_ would not be happy."

* * *

"Get on, wench." Kagome blinked and looked up; the shadow that had fallen over her belonged to Inuyasha. 

"What?"

"I _said_, get on." He turned around and crouched, arms extended backwards.

"Oh." She got up shakily to her feet, and carefully stepped up behind him.

"Just remember not to choke me this time," he snapped. He wrapped his hands firmly under her knees and started off onto the path, followed by the other members of the ragged group.

_Why… why aren't I pissed off? This is taking too long, and while I did want to tick off that damned Kouga, he's got his tribe hunting ours. Not that it really matters, we'll just wipe 'em off the face of the earth._

_But that's not the point. I don't get it. I don't feel angry at all. I feel… content. Why?_

A strange scent tickled his nose; it was hers, he realized. He breathed in; she smelt faintly of flowers and something sweet, that he simply couldn't place his finger on. It was a comforting smell, and seemed to ease a little of the anger that he held onto.

_Somehow… this feels right._

_Feh. What am I saying? Stupid girl. I'll be glad when she's gone._

Right then, Kagome's head fell gently into the curve between his shoulder and his neck, her breathing soft as she fell asleep, completely exhausted.

Golden eyes softened. (meep! It's fluff! Well, kinda)

* * *

Kouga leapt easily down the mountain face, ignoring the shower of rocks and dust that slid down after him. "Where are you, mutt?" he growled under his breath. Behind him the other members of the wolf tribe clambered frantically, with occasional shouts of, "Kouga, wait up!" 

_I gotta find Kagome! I can't believe that useless mutt would dare to take _my _woman!_

Adrenaline pumped through his body with his anger, heightening every sense. He could smell his wolves behind him, and the two humans, and the pathetic dog youkai. He could hear the wind rustling through the leaves of the trees below, could hear every rock and pebble that tumbled down the mountain face. He snarled. Of all these things, he still could not pick up the scent of the other dogs, or Kagome.

He leaped forward, pushing off the side of the mountain with his legs, and landed in the dirt below with a loud thump. The other wolf youkai, headed by Ginta, came to a gasping, panting stop behind him.

"Kouga… could you… please… try to… slow… down?" One of them bent over, clutching his abdomen as he panted.

He looked down at them with disdain, his own breath coming short but his mind and body still very alert from the adrenaline. "We gotta find Kagome."

* * *

"No." Lady Higurashi snapped her fan closed and shook her head. 

"But you must allow me to search for her. I-" Kikyou clenched her hands into fists where she knelt before her parents.

"No. Kikyou, I will not have you out there. You are too precious to lose."

Kikyou ground her teeth, thankful that her head was bowed and so her parents could not see her face. "I will go, accompanied by however many soldiers as is necessary."

"Kikyou." Lady Higurashi's eyes burned angrily. "I said no. You will not go out there, under any circumstances. If Sango is already searching for her, and I assume that Lord Kouga will be as well, it is not necessary for you to be endangered as well. You will not go. That is my final word. You may go." She waved her fan at Kikyou.

Kikyou rose and bowed, her face stony. "As you wish," she murmured.

She strode out of the court, her head held high and her back straight.

As soon as she returned to her room, she changed out of the stiff blue kimono she had worn for her petition, and dressed quickly and carefully, pulling on a white shirt, and a bright red hakama. Her miko clothing. Nobody would question a priestess moving quietly around the castle grounds.

She tied her hair back with a simple white ribbon, slung her quiver of arrows and her longbow over her shoulder, and left her room quietly. She hurried to the stables, where she ordered her horse to be readied, and the stable hands to forget they had seen her. Then she checked to make sure she had money with her; it was safe inside a small pouch tucked underneath her shirt.

She mounted the horse and nudged it forward and out the gates.

"Kagome, my sister, hold on."

* * *

The scent of human tickled Kouga's nose. It was not that of the two humans before. But it was not Kagome's either. He frowned; only a very foolish human, or a witless one, would wander this close to the mountains. He ignored it.

* * *

"Wake up, wench." 

Kagome blinked sleepily, then blushed furiously. She was still on Inuyasha's back, her arms draped loosely around his shoulders. Inuyasha let his grip under her knees relax, and she dropped a little unceremoniously onto the ground.

He looked down contemptuously at her and snorted at the slightly embarrassed and bewildered look on her face. "Stupid girl," he muttered.

Kagome blinked, then shot to her feet angrily. "I am not stupid!"

"Weak human!"

"I'm not weak, either."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

Inuyasha opened his mouth to add his retort, but just then, a hand smacked the back of his head, and he stumbled forward a step before whipping around and glaring at the hand's owner.

Kimiko stood with her hands on her hips, looking very unimpressed.

"How dare you hit me!"

Kimiko sighed and walked right past him, patting Kagome on the shoulder comfortingly as she passed. "Just ignore him. He's such a child."

"_Excuse me!_" Inuyasha huffed and stalked after Kimiko. "_What _did you just say!"

Kimiko kept on walking. "You heard me perfectly well, Inuyasha. I said, you're such a child."

"I am _so_ not a child!"

"A pup, then."

Some inarticulate, strangled noise was emitted from Inuyasha's throat. Kimiko smirked and whirled around. "Do be a good boy and sit down, why don't you?" She patted him on the head quickly and jumped away with a laugh before he could react.

He growled, then his eyes darted to Kagome and he stopped.

* * *

Brown eyes watched from the shadows. Waiting. Watching the wolf tribe's leader sniff the air hungrily. And burst forward. 

"Hiraikotsu!"

* * *

* * *

a very short chap, sorry about that. But, it came out so much faster! Anyway, the reason is, I'm going away for the next two weeks, so I wanted to get this out since it was so nearly done. The next chap will probably end up being much longer. So, enjoy, and everybody have a great march break/reading week! 


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